Multiple items of resource data for image formation processing or color processing, namely resource data such as profiles, look-up tables, dither patterns, fonts and forms, etc., referred to by a printer (image forming apparatus) at the time of printing usually are retained in the particular printer. When printing is performed, the user employs a printer driver to specify the resource data used. Alternatively, predetermined resource data in a printer is referred to at the time of printing.
Resource data referred to at the time of printing includes data stored in a printer at the time of shipping (when the printer is in the initial state) and data stored in the printer later as by downloading using a download program or the like. An example of a downloader program for downloading resource data is a special processing program for being manipulated by specialists in each category of resource data to create the essential part of resource data (referred to below as “resource data per se”), and for downloading the resource data per se. Another example is a processing program that executes only download processing upon accepting resource data per se created by specialists in each of resource data categories.
When image formation processing or color processing is executed in regard to this resource data within each printer, the structure of the resource data per se is interpreted. On the other hand, it is difficult to interpret the content of the resource data per se with a processing unit that performs batch management of various resource data within a printer or with a program that manages and downloads various resource data in one batch from the outside. Therefore, in order to express the features of resource data per se within a printer, the resource data is provided with a resource-data attribute information portion (referred to as “resource data attributes” below) specific to each printer.
In download processing, processing for storing resource data per se in a printer and processing for setting the printer-specific resource data attributes is required. Accordingly, resource data attributes for expressing resource data per se in a printer include an item for reflecting the resource data per se accurately. The resource data attributes must be set reliably based upon the intention of experts who have thorough knowledge of the resource data and who created the resource data per se.
However, in a printer that executes print processing upon referring to resource data, there are cases where correct print processing cannot be carried out owing to errors in the resource data information (a mismatch between attributes and resource data per se) or erroneous designations by the user based upon such errors.
Further, resource data attributes cannot be set at will by the operator of a downloader that executes only download processing upon receiving resource data per se created by experts in various categories of resource data. Furthermore, resource data attributes cannot be set at will without interpreting resource data per se by a resource data management unit within a printer.
Further, with the downloader mentioned above, usually information relating to each item of resource data is provided by the creator of the resource data, the resource data information is set automatically or by manual input and then downloading is performed. However, owing to suspension of downloading ascribable to communication error, or as a result of settings omissions by the operator, resource data in which resource data attributes planned to be set have been left unset (such resource data shall be referred to as “improper resource data” below) will exist within the printer.
Further, since suitable initial values of resource data attributes within a printer will have been set from among effective attribute values at the time of generation, whether these attribute values were set by the download operation or set as the initial values of the printer cannot be determined. As a consequence, whether or not resource data was downloaded reliably by the downloader cannot be determined.
Furthermore, there are cases where improper resource data that has been stored in a printer is not eliminated and improper resource data is specified from a program such as a printer driver for specifying resource data, which is used at the time of printing, from a list of stored resource data.